Equatorial Guinea

Republic of Equatorial GuineaRepublica de Guinea Ecuatorial

republic in transition to multiparty democracyIndependence 12 October 1968 (from Spain)

Equatorial Guinea as the 1997 edition of the CIA World Factbook published it: 93 fields, one of 36 editions from 1990 to 2025.

field in that editiontext changed from the edition beforenot in that editionthe open editionEach field below ends in its editions, 1990 to 2025. Point at a year above to follow it down.

CapitalMalabo

Position2 00 N, 10 00 E

Area28,050 sq km

LocationWestern Africa, bordering the Bight of Biafra, between

1997

Every edition of Equatorial Guinea

Populationas each edition published it

442,516 people July 1997 est. · 368,935 in 1990

Population growth% a year

2.57% 1997 est. · 2.6% in 1993

Median ageyears

Not in this edition 18.7 yrs in 2003

Life expectancyyears at birth

53.46 years 1997 est. · 51.63 yrs in 1993

Fertility ratechildren per woman

5.11 children per woman 1997 est. · 5.5 in 1990

Infant mortalitydeaths per 1,000 live births

95.7 deaths per 1,000 live births 1997 est. · 118 in 1990

GDP per capitaeach edition's own dollars

$800 1995 est. · $380 in 1993

GDP real growth% a year

11.2% 1995 est. · -1% in 1993

Geography

Western Africa, bordering the Bight of Biafra, between | Cameroon and Gabon

18 fields

Area

28,050sq km

land: 28,050 sq kmwater: 0 sq kmslightly smaller than Maryland

Coastline

296km

exclusive economic zone: 200 nmterritorial sea: 12 nm

Highest point

3,008m

Mount Malabolowest point: Atlantic Ocean 0 m

Land boundaries

539km

border countries: Cameroon 189 km, Gabon 350 km

Location

Western Africa, bordering the Bight of Biafra, between Cameroon and Gabon

Terrain

coastal plains rise to interior hills; islands are volcanic

Natural resources

timber, petroleum, small unexploited deposits of gold, manganese, uranium

Land use

arable land :: 5%
permanent crops:: 4%
permanent pastures:: 4%
forests and woodland:: 46%
other:: 41% (1993 est.)

Environment - current issues

tap water is not potable; desertification

Environment - international agreements

party to :: Biodiversity, Endangered Species, Nuclear Test Ban, Ship Pollution
signed, but not ratified:: Desertification, Law of the Sea

Geography - note

insular and continental regions rather widely separated

People

15 fields

Population

442,516

(July 1997 est.)growth rate: 2.57% (1997 est.)

Per 1,000 population(1997 est.)

Birth

39.33Death

13.67Net migration

Male · female

TotalMale · femaleLife expectancy years (1997 est.)53.46

51.2 · 55.8

TotalMale · femaleLiteracy (1995 est.)

89.6% · 68.1%

MaleFemaleLiteracy definition: age 15 and over can read and write · total population : 78.5%

Age structure

0-14 years:: 43% (male 95,636; female 95,090) 15-64 years : 53% (male 111,801; female 123,257)
65 years and over:: 4% (male 7,407; female 9,325) (July 1997 est.)

Sex ratio

at birth:: 1.03 male(s)/female
under 15 years:: 1.01 male(s)/female 15-64 years : 0.91 male(s)/female
65 years and over:: 0.79 male(s)/female
total population:: 0.94 male(s)/female (1997 est.)

Infant mortality rate

95.7 deaths/1,000 live births (1997 est.)

Nationality

noun:: Equatorial Guinean(s) or Equatoguinean(s)
adjective:: Equatorial Guinean or Equatoguinean

Ethnic groups

Bioko (primarily Bubi, some Fernandinos), Rio Muni (primarily Fang), Europeans less than 1,000, mostly Spanish

Religions

nominally Christian and predominantly Roman Catholic, pagan practices

Languages

Spanish (official), pidgin English, Fang, Bubi, Ibo

Government

Republic in transition to multiparty democracy; President Brig. Gen. (Ret.) Teodoro OBIANG NGUEMA MBASOGO (since 3 August 1979); Prime Minister Serafin Seriche DOUGAN (since April 1996)

19 fields

Legislature, 80 seats, elected 21 November 1993one dot, one seat

PDGE 68CSD 6UDS 5CLD 1

Country name

conventional long form:: Republic of Equatorial Guinea
conventional short form:: Equatorial Guinea
local long form:: Republica de Guinea Ecuatorial
local short form:: Guinea Ecuatorial
former :: Spanish Guinea

Government type

republic in transition to multiparty democracy

Administrative divisions

7 provinces (provincias, singular - provincia); Annobon, Bioko Norte, Bioko Sur, Centro Sur, Kie-Ntem, Litoral, Wele-Nzas

Legal system

partly based on Spanish civil law and tribal custom

Executive branch

chief of state:: President Brig. Gen. (Ret.) Teodoro OBIANG NGUEMA MBASOGO (since 3 August 1979)
head of government:: Prime Minister Serafin Seriche DOUGAN (since April 1996); Vice Prime Minister Francisco Javier Ndongo MBENGONO (since April 1996)
cabinet:: Council of Ministers appointed by the president
elections:: president elected by popular vote to a seven-year term; election last held 25 February 1996 (next to be held NA February 2003)
election results :: President OBIANG NGUEMA MBASOGO reelected without opposition; percent of popular vote - NA

Legislative branch

unicameral House of Peoples Representatives or Camara de Representantes del Pueblo (80 seats; members are directly elected by popular vote to serve five-year terms)

elections:: last held 21 November 1993 (next to be held November 1998)
election results:: percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - PDGE 68, CSD 6, UDS 5, CLD 1

Political parties and leaders

ruling party:: Democratic Party for Equatorial Guinea or PDGE [Brig. Gen. (Ret.) Teodoro OBIANG NGUEMA MBASOGO]
opposition parties:: Convergence for Social Democracy or CSD [Santiago Obama Ndong, president];
Democratic Social Union or UDS [Camelo MODU, general secretary];
Liberal Democratic Convention or CLD [Alfonso Nsue MIFUMU, president];
Liberal Party or PL [Santos PASCUAL];
National Democratic Union or UDENA [Jose MECHEBA Ikaka, president];
Party of the Social Democratic Coalition or PCSD [Buenaventura Moswi M'Asumu, general coordinater];
Party of Progress or PP [Severo MOTO Nsa, president];
Popular Action of Equatorial Guinea or APGE [Casiano Masi Edu];
Popular Union or UP [Juan BITUI, president];
Party for Progress of Equatorial Guinea or PPGE [Severo Moto NSA, president];
Progressive Democratic Alliance or ADP [Antonio-Ebang Mbele Abang, president];
Social Democratic and Popular Convergence or CSDP [Secundino Oyono Agueng Ada, general secretary];
Social Democratic Party or PSD [Benjamin-Gabriel Balingha Balinga Alene, general secretary];
Socialist Party of Equatorial Guinea or PSGE [Tomas MICHEBE Fernandez, general secretary]

International organization participation

ACCT, ACP, AfDB, BDEAC, CEEAC, ECA, FAO, FZ, G-77, IBRD, ICAO, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Intelsat, Interpol, IOC, ITU, NAM, OAS (observer), OAU, UDEAC, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WHO, WToO, WTrO (applicant)

Diplomatic representation in the US

chief of mission :: Ambassador Pastor Micha ONDO BILE
chancery:: Suite 405, 1511 K Street NW, Washington, DC 20005
telephone :: [1] (202) 393-0525

FAX

[1] (202) 393-0348

Diplomatic representation from the US

the US does not have an embassy in Equatorial Guinea (embassy closed September 1995);
US relations with Equatorial Guinea are handled through the US Embassy in Yaounde, Cameroon

Flag description

three equal horizontal bands of green (top), white, and red with a blue isosceles triangle based on the hoist side and the coat of arms centered in the white band;
the coat of arms has six yellow six-pointed stars (representing the mainland and five offshore islands) above a gray shield bearing a silk-cotton tree and below which is a scroll with the motto UNIDAD, PAZ, JUSTICIA (Unity, Peace, Justice)

Economy

Farming, forestry, and fishing account for about | half of GDP. Subsistence farming predominates.

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Real growth rate

11.2%

(1995 est.)industrial production growth: 7.4% (1994 est.)

Inflation, consumer prices

10.9%

(1995 est.)

Debt - external

$252million

(1995 est.)

GDP - composition by sector(1994 est.)

agriculture 50%industry 14%services 36% (1994 est.)

Budget

Revenues

$27 millionExpenditures

$34.1 million (1994)

expenditures including capital expenditures of $11.2 million

Economy - overview

Farming, forestry, and fishing account for about half of GDP. Subsistence farming predominates. Although pre-independence Equatorial Guinea counted on cocoa production for hard currency earnings, the deterioration of the rural economy under successive brutal regimes has diminished potential for agriculture-led growth.

A number of aid programs sponsored by the World Bank and the IMF have been cut off since 1993 because of the government's gross corruption and mismanagement. Businesses, for the most part, are owned by government officials and their family members. Undeveloped natural resources include titanium, iron ore, manganese, uranium, and alluvial gold.

Oil exploration, taking place under concessions offered to US, French, and Spanish firms, has been moderately successful and has contributed to Equatorial Guinea's strong growth rates in the early 1990s. The country responded favorably to the devaluation of the CFA franc in January 1994.

GDP

purchasing power parity - $328 million (1995 est.)

GDP - per capita

purchasing power parity - $800 (1995 est.)

Labor force

Unemployment rate

NA%

Industries

fishing, sawmilling

Electricity - capacity

23,000 kW (1995)

Electricity - production

NA kWh

Electricity - consumption per capita

NA kWh

Agriculture - products

coffee, cocoa, rice, yams, cassava (tapioca), bananas, palm oil nuts, manioc;
livestock;
timber

Exports

total value :: $83.5 million (f.o.b., 1995)
commodities:: timber, petroleum, cocoa
partners:: US 34%, Japan 16%, Spain 15%, China 12%, Cote d'Ivoire, Nigeria

Imports

total value:: $52.3 million (f.o.b., 1995)
commodities :: petroleum, food, beverages, clothing, machinery
partners:: Spain 51%, Cameroon 21%, France 6%, US 4%

Economic aid

recipient : ODA, $NA

Currency

1 Communaute Financiere Africaine franc (CFAF) = 100 centimes

Exchange rates

CFA francs (CFAF) per US$1 - 541.69 (January 1997), 511.55 (1996), 499.15 (1995), 555.20 (1994), 283.16 (1993), 264.69 (1992) note: beginning 12 January 1994, the CFA franc was devalued to CFAF 100 per French franc from CFAF 50 at which it had been fixed since 1948

Fiscal year

1 April - 31 March

Communications

6 fields

Fixed lines

2,000

(1987 est.)

Telephone system

poor system with adequate government services

domestic:: NA
international:: international communications from Bata and Malabo to African and European countries; satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Indian Ocean)

Radio broadcast stations

AM 2, FM 0, shortwave 0

Radios

Television broadcast stations

Televisions

4,000 (1992 est.)

Transportation

6 fields

Merchant marine, 3 ships by typeone square, one ship · (1996 est.)

cargo 1passenger 1passenger-cargo 1

Airports by runway lengthpaved only

under 914 m

total: 3 (1996 est.) 2,438 to 3,047 m: 1 1,524 to 2,437 m: 1

Railways

total : 0 km

Highways

total:: 2,820 km
paved :: 0 km
unpaved:: 2,820 km (1995 est.)

Ports and harbors

Bata, Luba, Malabo

Airports

Military

Army, Navy, Air Force, Rapid Intervention Force, | National Police

5 fields

Military branches

Army, Navy, Air Force, Rapid Intervention Force, National Police

Military manpower - availability

males age 15-49: 95,788 (1997 est.)

Military manpower - fit for military service

males: 48,696 (1997 est.)

Military expenditures - dollar figure

$2.5 million (FY93/94)

Military expenditures - percent of GDP

NA%

Transnational Issues

1 field

Disputes - international

maritime boundary dispute with Gabon because of disputed sovereignty over islands in Corisco Bay ERITREA

Introduction